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Community Shootaround: Western Conference Playoff Race

January 21st, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the 15 teams in the Western Conference, only two are clearly focused more on the 2025 draft lottery than the 2024/25 standings. The 10-31 Jazz and 14-28 Trail Blazers don’t have realistic postseason aspirations this season, with management prioritizing the development of young players and the possibility of landing another high draft pick.

Those two teams are sandwiching the 12-32 Pelicans, who definitely didn’t expect their season to play out like this. Plagued by injuries since top offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray broke his hand on opening night, New Orleans has won its past four games but likely dug too deep a hole in the first half to seriously vie for a play-in spot this season, even if the roster gets (and stays) fully healthy.

Still, that leaves 12 teams in the hunt for eight playoff spots in the Western Conference.

We can safely pencil in the Thunder for one of those spots — and it will almost certainly be the top one. At 35-7, Mark Daigneault‘s squad has a seven-game cushion on the next-best team in the conference.

The Rockets (28-14), Grizzlies (28-15) and Nuggets (26-16) round out the current top four in the West and appear well positioned to claim playoff berths. That’s not necessarily a lock, given how competitive the conference is — a single injury could be all it takes for one of those teams to fall back to the pack. But they’re in strong positions.

After the top four, things gets interesting. Here are the current Western Conference standings from five through 12:

Los Angeles Clippers (24-18)
Los Angeles Lakers (22-18)
Dallas Mavericks (23-20)
Sacramento Kings (22-20)
Minnesota Timberwolves (22-21)
Phoenix Suns (21-21)
Golden State Warriors (21-21)
San Antonio Spurs (19-22)

These eight teams are separated by a total of 4.5 games. The gap from No. 6 to 11 is just two games. A five-game winning streak or losing streak for any of these clubs could significantly change the perception of how their season is going.

To that point, as recently as January 4, the Kings were 12th in the conference at 16-19, while the Spurs were in eighth place at 18-16. A Sacramento hot streak and a San Antonio cold spell have resulted in those two clubs swapping places in the standings just seven games later.

The Spurs are probably a little ahead of schedule in their rebuild and didn’t necessarily expect to make the postseason this year, so if they continue to slump, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for them. But the rest of the clubs listed above had serious playoff aspirations this season. The Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Suns, and Warriors are all spending into the tax on their rosters, and the Kings aren’t far off.

Barring a major collapse from one of the top four seeds, one of these clubs (or two, if San Antonio sticks around) will finish outside the top 10, missing out not just on the playoffs but on the play-in altogether. Two more will be eliminated in the play-in tournament and will fail to clinch one of the eight playoff spots in the West.

What happens at the trade deadline could go a long way toward determining how this race plays out down the stretch, but we want to know what you’re thinking at the halfway point of the season.

Which teams do you expect to finish outside of the top 10 in the West? Which teams will be eliminated in the play-in? Which clubs besides the Thunder are the most serious contenders to represent the conference in this year’s NBA Finals?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

And-Ones: MVP Race, Maledon, Flagg, Dybantsa

January 21st, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player race for this season already looks like it’ll be a two-man race, according to Zach Harper of The Athletic, who points to the current betting odds as evidence.

BetOnline.ag currently lists Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the frontrunner at -400, followed relatively closely by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic at +250. After those two, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks is all the way down at +4000, with Celtics forward Jayson Tatum at +5000.

Last season’s MVP Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander were among the three finalists for the award in 2024 alongside Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, who has already missed more than 17 games, taking him out of the running due to the 65-game rule. 2023 MVP Joel Embiid will also fall short of 65 games and has been eliminated from contention.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Tony Parker, the president of ASVEL Basket in France, said during an interview with RMC Sport (YouTube link) that he believes current ASVEL standout Theo Maledon will receive NBA offers in the offseason, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Maledon, who previously played 177 regular season NBA games for three teams from 2020-24, has averaged 18.0 points and 4.5 assists per game in 22 EuroLeague outings this season, posting a shooting line of .457/.387/.889.
Within the same interview, Parker expressed interest in getting ASVEL involved in the NBA’s rumored foray into European basketball, Askounis notes. “When you see what the NBA is doing, they are very strong. Whether it is marketing or the new TV rights contract that will start next year,” Parker said. “We need to be associated with that. I want there to be NBA Europe and for us to be part of it.”
Duke standout Cooper Flagg has solidified his place atop the 2025 NBA draft class with his recent play, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who says Flagg’s performance over the past month – 23.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, and a .561/.500/.881 shooting line – is arguably the best stretch for a college freshman since Zion Williamson was a Blue Devil.
Meanwhile, Jared Weiss of The Athletic checks in on some of 2026’s best prospects, including AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, who were taking part in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. over the weekend. While Dybantsa wasn’t at his best during the event, Weiss says he spoke to multiple scouts who believe the 6’9″ wing could eventually become the NBA’s second-best player behind Victor Wembanyama.

Raptors Rumors: Facilitation, Brown, Boucher, Mitchell, Olynyk

January 20th, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Doug Smith of The Toronto Star reported last week that the Raptors have signaled their interest in getting involved in a potential Jimmy Butler trade as a facilitator. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), it’s not just a Butler deal that Toronto is open to facilitating.

The Raptors have let it be known around the league that they’re willing to help grease the wheels on potential deadline deals, sources tell Fischer.

“They are as well positioned as anyone to facilitate a trade,” an Eastern Conference executive told Fischer. “If a team needs to send out four players to make the math work, do you send one to Toronto?”

The Raptors currently have more than $10MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line and are carrying just 14 players on full-season salaries (with Orlando Robinson on a 10-day deal), so they have both cap and roster flexibility. They also have a handful of players on expiring contracts, including Bruce Brown ($23MM), Chris Boucher ($10.81MM), and Davion Mitchell ($6.45MM).

Brown, Boucher, and center Kelly Olynyk are the Raptors most frequently cited as trade candidates, Fischer says, but Mitchell is another player who could make sense as a salary-matching piece in certain scenarios — he’d also hold some appeal to teams seeking another point-of-attack defender, though he offers little offensive punch.

Here’s more from Fischer on the Raptors:

Toronto is “very motivated” to move Brown, sources tell Fischer. The veteran swingman, who won a title with Denver in 2023, was a popular target on the free agent market that summer and could draw interest ahead of the February 6 deadline from some of the same teams who pursued him at that time. Rival executives have been keeping an eye on Brown following his recovery from offseason knee surgery to see if he can recapture his previous form, Fischer writes.
If the Raptors are unable to find a suitable trade for Brown, he could become an intriguing buyout candidate, Fischer writes. However, because he’s earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.8MM), Brown would be ineligible to sign with any team operating above either tax apron if he were to reach free agency. That includes clubs like the Lakers and Nuggets, who are believed to have interest in the 28-year-old, sources tell Fischer. According to Fischer, Denver has considered whether trying to trade out of apron territory to gain more roster flexibility – including the ability to pursue players on the buyout market – would make sense.
Boucher isn’t regarded as a viable buyout candidate if he’s not traded at the deadline. According to Fischer, the big man actually has some interest in a possible contract extension with the Raptors if he remains in Toronto through Feb. 6, which the team would be open to considering for its longest-tenured player.

Western Notes: Murray, Moody, Powell, Williamson, Missi

January 19th, 2025 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray isn’t fazed by criticism. The Nuggets guard signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension in September and feels it comes with the territory, he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“I’m totally ready for it,” Murray said. “That’s why I literally signed up for it.”

Murray understands that with the big contract numbers comes increased scrutiny. He’s endured a roller coaster season thus far and admits he hasn’t played up to par.

“I think I deserve it, to a certain extent,” he said. “So I’m not gonna complain about it. And that’s what people do. They’re gonna talk about what they see. And if they don’t see me performing the way they want me to perform as a fan, they’re gonna let me hear it, or tweet about it or whatever they’re doing. … I mean, I admit I haven’t been playing well. So it’s not like it’s a surprise to me to hear it from everybody else if I’m saying it as well.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

In his fourth NBA season, the Warriors’ Moses Moody may have found his niche as an undersized power forward, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater writes. The 6’5″ Moody has played 54 minutes the past two games, mostly at power forward, and could see a lot more time there in the near future, as Draymond Green is expected to miss multiple games with a calf strain. “Moses seems to really thrive at the (power forward),” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s his spot. He’s comfortable using his strength and the ability to stretch the floor.”
Norman Powell is a candidate to make the All-Star reserves in his 10th season and the Clippers swingman is gratified how this season has played out thus far, he told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. He’s averaging a career-high 23.7 points per game. “It was always an individual goal,” Powell said. “It was, ‘I want to be an All-Star. I want to be on that stage. I want to be in the same position that I saw my favorite players being in growing up. And honestly it’s surreal. … It’s been 10 years and I kind of take it as a little shot or a little chip on my shoulder when everybody is talking about, ‘Oh, this is his 10th year in the league and this and that.’ It just adds to the beauty of being mentioned now as an All-Star, this being my 10th year.”
The Pelicans could be without two frontcourt starters against Utah on Monday, both due to non-COVID illnesses. Rookie Yves Missi, who did not play Friday against the Jazz, and Zion Williamson are both listed as questionable, according to a team press release. Williamson has averaged 20.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in four games since returning from a hamstring strain.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Dillingham, Murray, Westbrook, Simons

January 18th, 2025 at 8:32am CST by Tristan Tucker

For the second time in three seasons, the Timberwolves have struggled to develop chemistry following a massive offseason trade, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes.

“It’s an adjustment, but we want to be winning games while we’re figuring it out,” Julius Randle said. “We show phases of being able to do that.”

MacMahon explores the various reasons for Minnesota’s troubles, including defensive slippage from last season, a lack of ball movement, and statistical regressions from top players.

After a career year for the Knicks last season, guard Donte DiVincenzo in particular hasn’t adapted as quickly to Minnesota. However, it seems as though DiVincenzo has turned a corner since mid-December, averaging 15.5 points per game on 43.7% shooting from deep in his last 15 games.

“It’s a mental game of just being aggressive and just going out there and being myself,” DiVincenzo said, who is now out with a toe injury. “There’s no secret behind that for me. When I’m passive, I’m not my best self.”

Despite DiVincenzo and others turning around their individual games, the Wolves continue to have an up-and-down season. They’re fresh off a 17-point win against the Knicks, but are 2-2 in their last four, 5-5 in their last 10, and 8-8 in their last 16.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Wolves rookie guard Rob Dillingham returned from an ankle injury on Friday. After not appearing in a game since Dec. 23, Dillingham played over 13 minutes in the win over New York, making four of his six field goal attempts and notching nine points and three assists. “He fire. Everybody know it. The world know it. It just takes time,” teammate Anthony Edwards said, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s going to happen. … We been missing him the last couple weeks. He just got back out there and showed why he should be playing.”
The Nuggets‘ season hinges on Jamal Murray continuing to find high-level success, Troy Renck of The Denver Post opines. It seems as though Murray is hitting a stride, racking up 45 points in a 19-point win over Dallas on Tuesday and scoring 30 in a 20-point victory against Miami on Friday.
Denver is 9-4 in its last 13 games, with Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup as Aaron Gordon recovered from a calf injury and dealt with a minutes restriction upon returning to action. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post explores whether Westbrook will remain a starter once Gordon’s restriction is lifted and, if so, whose spot he’ll take. Westbrook has had his most productive stretch of the season during this stretch, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.3% from the field and 38.3% from three.
Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons went scoreless for the first time since 2021 in a loss to the Clippers on Thursday, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes. Simons is averaging 18.2 points per game on 42.0% shooting this season after putting up 21.7 PPG on 43.9% shooting across the previous two seasons.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, DiVincenzo, Henderson, Camara, Murray

January 16th, 2025 at 11:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Timberwolves are out of excuses after losing to the shorthanded Warriors on Wednesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Nearly everything went wrong for Minnesota, including a slow start to open the game that saw the Wolves fall behind 13-0.

“They came out how we should’ve come out,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 28 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. “There’s no excuses. I think we just have to be better to start the game. We got it together. We fought and clawed our way back, but we start the game differently, this is a different story.”

Gui Santos made his first career start for Golden State and was effective, while Rudy Gobert was out-rebounded by Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Wolves rank 22nd in defensive rebounding after finishing ninth last year, which Krawczynski writes is a direct result of Gobert’s regression.

Anthony Edwards was critical of the lineup – himself included – that surrendered that early 13-0 deficit, Krawczynski writes in the same story.

“The starting five, we are terrible,” Edwards said. “Every game we come out low energy and the second group comes in and gives us energy. I would say the starting group has gotta come out with more energy like we want to play the game of basketball, like we love the game.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Things won’t get any easier for the Timberwolves as they embark on a difficult stretch that includes tilts against the Knicks, Cavaliers and Grizzlies. DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain, according to team PR (Twitter link). It’s not clear exactly how much DiVincenzo will miss, but toe sprain absences are often measured in weeks and not days.
The Trail Blazers saw a glimpse of a brighter future in a Tuesday loss to the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report writes. Second-year players Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara both recorded career games, with Henderson scoring a career-high 39 points while making eight three-pointers and Camara finishing the night with 24 points.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone expressed confidence last month that Jamal Murray would begin to silence his critics with his play and, after a season-high 45 points from the Kentucky product on Tuesday, Malone defended his guard again. “I think the microscope on Jamal is a little intense,” Malone said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Everybody’s just got to kind let the kid breathe a little bit. He’s not perfect. And if you look, I think his overall stats as of recently, he’s been very good for us.“

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Caruso, Timberwolves, Cancar

January 13th, 2025 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was fined again by the league, this time for making obscene gestures toward an official. It’s the fifth time Edwards has been docked by the league this season. He’s also tied for the league lead with nine technicals. Head coach Chris Finch says he has spoken with Edwards about both issues.

“It’s been addressed for sure,” said Finch, per Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s been addressed organizationally, individually. I think he’s aware. We’re all aware.”

Finch believes Edwards will do a better job of controlling his emotions, Hine adds in another tweet.

“He’s extremely self-aware. I think he has emotional control for sure,” Finch said. “I think he’s frustrated on many levels. I think some of that frustration is certainly in & around the whistle no doubt, but he’s just got to figure it out, play through it and he’ll be fine.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Alex Caruso is no longer listed on the Thunder injury report, signaling that he’ll suit up for Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets. Caruso, who signed a four-year extension last month, has missed the past 10 games with a left hip strain.
The parties involved in the Timberwolves’ ownership battle met for a final time on Jan. 10, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Arbitration hearings were held in early November and it was expected to take a few months for a ruling. The decision will likely be handed down within the next 30 days. The dispute over control of the franchise between minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and principal owner Glen Taylor moved to arbitration in July.
Vlatko Cancar traveled with the Nuggets to Dallas over the weekend and went through a full pregame workout, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Sports Journal tweets. Cancar underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Dec. 4. At that time, the team indicated that Cancar would be reexamined in eight weeks. The forward/center is currently inked to a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum deal.

Murray Dealing With Left Knee Issue; Gordon Shines In Return

January 13th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been playing through left knee soreness, which caused him to be pulled at halftime from Friday’s victory over Brooklyn, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Head coach Michael Malone admitted that he almost repeated that on Sunday in Dallas, when Murray struggled mightily in the first half vs. Dallas, only to help lead the team to a turnaround victory in the second half. “I’m just gonna defend him for a second. Because he’s not 100% healthy,” Malone said after the win. “I thought about shutting him down at halftime. Because I’m watching him out there, and I know that’s not the Jamal Murray that (I watch) when he’s playing healthy. That wasn’t him, if that makes sense.”
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon had an “outstanding” showing in his return to action on Sunday, Durando writes in another story for The Denver Post. “I think we’ll probably stay right around 20 (minutes) for a while, and then probably go to about 25,” said Gordon, who had 13 points (on 6-of-7 shooting), six rebounds, two assists and a block, with Denver outscoring Dallas by 23 points in his 18 minutes. “And then I don’t know. We’ll probably stay around there for a little while. … I don’t care whether I start or come off the bench. It does not matter to me. As long as I can contribute to winning the game for us and help us win, I don’t care.” Gordon has missed a total of 19 games this season due to right calf issues.

Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon To Return On Sunday

January 12th, 2025 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is expected to make his return to action on Sunday in Dallas, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).

Gordon has been sidelined since Christmas Day, having missed Denver’ past nine games due to a right calf strain. The injury was an aggravation of a strain he suffered in the same calf earlier in the season — that ailment cost him 10 games in November.

As we noted earlier today, Gordon was upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn before being ruled out, then was listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest against the Mavericks.

A key part of Denver’s starting lineup, Gordon has been his usual effective self when he has been healthy this season, averaging 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 28.8 minutes per game across 17 outings (16 starts). He has also made 52.3% of his shots from the field, including 44.0% of his three-pointers.

The Nuggets have a +8.0 net rating during Gordon’s 489 minutes so far this season; that marks dips to +2.4 when he’s not on the floor.

Russell Westbrook has replaced Gordon in the starting lineup over the past nine games. It’s unclear if Gordon will immediately reclaim his spot — following his 10-game absence in November, he came off the bench in his return before starting his second game back.

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Westbrook, Gordon, MPJ, Fernandez

January 12th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and point guard Russell Westbrook recorded triple-doubles in the same game on Friday for the second time this season, leading the team to a victory over the shorthanded Nets.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, the duo made NBA history by become the first pair of teammates to have 25-point triple-doubles in the same regular season game. Jokic put up 35 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds, while Westbrook contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

“(Jokic) does a hell of a job making the game easy for everyone,” Westbrook said. “And since I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to do the same thing and find ways to be able to make the game easy for him and other guys. When we’re both doing that, our team is really good.”

Denver is 10-5 this season when Jokic registers a triple-double and 3-0 when Westbrook does so.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Westbrook has been an ideal fit so far in Denver, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who suggests that both the point guard and the team are benefiting from the arrangement — the Nuggets got a veteran leader who can take some pressure off of Jokic with his ball-handling and play-making, while Westbrook got a chance to play more like himself under a coach who believes in him. “I told him that I wanted him to challenge himself to be the best version of himself,” head coach Michael Malone said. “No offense to any of his past coaches, but if you put Russell Westbrook in the corner, you’re not getting the whole package. We’ve made an effort to get the ball into his hands quite a bit this season.”
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon appears to be on the verge of returning from the calf strain he aggravated on Christmas Day. After being upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game, Gordon has been listed as questionable to suit up on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is having arguably the best season of his career, with averages of 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on .521/.415/.708 shooting through 37 contests (34.5 MPG). With that in mind, Durando explores in a Denver Post story (subscription required) whether trading Porter would help or hurt the club’s roster. The 26-year-old, who is earning $35.9MM this season, is considered Denver’s most logical trade chip if the team makes a bigger in-season deal, since the other Nuggets with eight-figure cap hits – Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gordon – aren’t going anywhere.
Friday’s game between the Nets and Nuggets was the first time that former Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez returned to Denver to face his old team as a head coach. As Durando details for The Denver Post, Fernandez said that every year he spent with the Nuggets helped prepare him for his current position with Brooklyn, and his former players are happy to see him succeeding in his new role. “I think he’s doing a good job. I think guys are listening. Guys are playing hard for him,” Jokic said. “I think that’s really important for a coach. … They are trying to do the right thing. They are trying to do what he is probably telling them. So they have some kind of system, and it’s really cool to see. They’re in the beginning of the process, of course. Hopefully, they can grow.”